Washington Redskins: Clinton Portis' Release Means the Right Men Are Making Decisions

Clinton Portis has been officially released by the Washington Redskins today.

This was one of the worst kept secrets in sports, and even Clinton knew his days with the franchise were up.

He was due just over eight million dollars this season and for a back who hasn't finished the year healthy in his last two seasons, there was no way he was going to stay on the roster at that salary.

The old regime would have restructured Portis' deal and probably given him more money than he was worth.

General Manager Bruce Allen and head coach Mike Shanahan opted to release him and let the market dictate his worth.

Shanahan leaves the door open for Portis' return to the team, but has a caveat that it needs to be at a reduced price.

Expect Portis to make a lot less money wherever he signs, given his age and his recent injuries. That number will most likely be under one million per season and probably at a length of less then three seasons.

Portis is a proud man and I would think he'd prefer to return Washington, but making such a small amount of money compared to what he used to make with the burgundy and gold would stop him from coming back.

The fact that Bruce Allen and Mike Shanahan cut such a popular and marquee player gives fans hope that they are going to run this team in a similar fashion to Philly and New England.